Evidence of meeting #35 for Procedure and House Affairs in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site.) The winning word was advertising.
A video is available from Parliament.
NDP
Craig Scott NDP Toronto—Danforth, ON
I will move that.
Proposed subsection 18(1) lists five things that the Chief Electoral Officer can advertise on under the purpose of informing electors about the exercise of their democratic rights. I'd simply like to add a paragraph (f), which makes it a sixth item. It is seeking clarity. If the government votes against this, then it means it's not part of the exercise of democratic rights. It would read:
(f) Canada’s electoral process and the democratic right to vote.
NDP
Craig Scott NDP Toronto—Danforth, ON
Yes. Just to make it clear, I'm adding this especially now. I was thinking about withdrawing it, but because of the insertion in the government's amendment of the purpose now being advertising about the exercise of their democratic rights, this seems to me to potentially qualify as that. If the government agrees, but if they don't, then I'll understand it's part of another purpose.
Conservative
Conservative
Blake Richards Conservative Wild Rose, AB
I guess it's more of a point of order than anything. I'm trying to sort this out. There are a couple of amendments here that I think we may be—
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
Well, BQ-1 and LIB-5 because of G-3 were covered because the same clauses were changed.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
NDP-9 was the next one in your book and it was not moved by Mr. Scott, so we went to NDP-10, and that's where we are.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
He has now given a quick summary of it and I see no other conversation on it, so we'll vote on NDP-10.
(Amendment negatived)
NDP
Craig Scott NDP Toronto—Danforth, ON
I'd like to move it and request in advance, in case the gavel is particularly quick, a recorded vote on this one.
This again is an attempt to add a sixth item that can be part of the advertising about the exercise of democratic rights and to rephrase proposed subsection 18(1). The amendment states:
(f) the content of public education and information programs implemented by the Chief Electoral Officer—
That's probably going to end up being the Student Vote stuff, but it's maybe more general:
—to make the electoral process better known to the public and increase voter participation.
I think it's important that everybody in the room and others following this proceeding know that this is an amendment suggested by Mr. Preston Manning. In his testimony here, this was the wording he suggested that would cover off the problem he saw in the functional list that appears in proposed subsection18(1), the kind of how, when, and where items that the government feels advertising by Elections Canada should be limited to when it comes to the exercise of democratic rights.
Again, Preston Manning suggested adding this in order to effectively empower Elections Canada to more broadly reach out than the list the government has, the content of public education and information programs implemented by the Chief Electoral Officer to make the electoral process better known to the public and increase voter participation.
Conservative
Tom Lukiwski Conservative Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK
Mr. Chair, with the indulgence of the committee, I'm not using this opportunity to speak directly to NDP-11, but to clarify the motion that I put on notice earlier, particularly for our friends in the media who may be watching as well, so that everyone fully understands.
There has been some question as to when I would be asking that the motion be debated. I know members of the media were very much wanting to know when that debate would occur. I want to give notice to this committee and others who are paying attention that I will not be asking for that motion to be debated this week. I will be calling it forward for debate on the following Tuesday, a week from today.
Conservative
Conservative
Blake Richards Conservative Wild Rose, AB
Mr. Chair, the idea behind this particular section in the bill is to be more clear about what exactly the Chief Electoral Officer would communicate with. Obviously the goal here is to try to encourage better turnout and participation at the polls, based on communicating the how, the where, and the when. That's based on some of the research that was done by Elections Canada particularly looking at young voters.
I mentioned this a number of times during the hearings we had. Young people indicated that some of the concerns they had were about knowing where to vote, when to vote, how to vote. Obviously by adding another thing, it waters down the work that would be expected there that we think would be better to help increase the turnout. To add something to the list would water that down, and I think that would be a concern.
That's why I would be opposed to this, Mr. Chair.
NDP
Craig Scott NDP Toronto—Danforth, ON
Yes.
It's only that I guess we can leave it at the fact that Mr. Manning is going to be watered down. He spent his entire time telling us that this was a mistake, and this was the language he suggested. It's unfortunate that somebody who spends all of his time promoting democratic participation in Canadian society has suggested something which in the wisdom of the government side is watering down our democracy. So here we are.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
There is no one else on my speakers list.
We'll go to the vote on NDP-11. There was a request for a recorded vote.
(Amendment negatived: nays 5; yeas 4 [See Minutes of Proceedings])
We'll go to LIB-6.
Mr. Scott Simms.
Liberal
Scott Simms Liberal Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL
Mr. Chair, I was beginning to think you were ignoring me.
Quite frankly, I come to this with generally the same themes, of course. What we're proposing here, paragraphs (g) and (h), if you'll notice, it's “Canada's electoral process”, and “the content of public education and information programs to make the electoral process better known to the public”.
These are all themes that we've touched on before, and quite eloquently in many cases, I might add.
The first one, though, is “possible or actual electoral irregularities”. One of the things that was brought about in discussions and through debate and testimony was some of the things that went awry. These were things that raised suspicion to the general public. It would be great if Elections Canada could communicate how they're dealing with that, why it happened, and how Canadians can avoid this in the future. The constant talk was about voting irregularities. People may have been disenfranchised, for example, and as a result of all of that, people are wondering.
For instance, I mentioned today in the media about voter identification cards. Well, they're causing irregularities apparently, according to the government, to the point where it would be great if the Chief Electoral Officer could address this with the public. Right now they're shackled in a way that they can't. That's the one exception I'm looking at that should come up, and it would be nice if the Chief Electoral Officer could communicate this.
I hope that this amendment will be in addition to what they proposed through G-4.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
If there is no further discussion on amendment LIB-6, we will vote on it.
(Amendment negatived [See Minutes of Proceedings])
We go to amendment PV-15. Is that where I am?
Ms. May.